Family Of Man Killed In Hit And Run Speaks Out

The sister of a man killed in a hit and run is speaking out about the driver's reduced sentence. It's been nearly two years since Carrie Jackson lost her brother. News On 6 anchor Latoya Silmon

Thursday, June 14th 2007, 8:35 pm

By: News On 6

The sister of a man killed in a hit and run is speaking out about the driver's reduced sentence. It's been nearly two years since Carrie Jackson lost her brother. News On 6 anchor Latoya Silmon reports she thought justice was served when the man who hit him received eight years in prison, but more than half of that sentence was cut, and she can't understand why.

Carrie Jackson knows what it's like to have a grandchild. But she says her brother Daniel Paul Newman will never experience such joy. She says Norman Stephens took that away from him.

â€œI had a lot of hate and resentment towards him, and I've prayed about it a lot, and I think God's helped me. I do forgive him,â€ Jackson said.

But she says she'll never forget. It was 2005. The day before Thanksgiving and Daniel Paul Newman and his family ran out of gas. He walked along Keystone Expressway holding his 2-year-old daughter.

His wife and two other kids were behind them when Stephens hit Newman. He died instantly.

"You can't understand it. There's just a hole in our heart,â€ Jackson said. â€œIt will never be easy.â€

But knowing Stephens would spend the next eight years in prison helped. Now that sentenced has been reduced to three years in prison and three years probation

â€œI think they're making it more about him than it is my brother. We had to sit there and listen to all these people testify about how wonderful a person he is, and I'm not saying he's not a wonderful person. I don't know the man. I'm just saying on that day he made a wrong choice when he decided to drive off,â€ Jackson said.

And she says he should pay for it in full.

â€œMy nieces and nephews wake up screaming every night. They have nightmares of what they witnessed that day so, you know, I mean there's a point of being sorry, but there's a point of having to pay for what you done,â€ said Jackson.

Carrie Jackson says her mom is still very upset about what happened. But like her, she's glad that they no longer have to go to court and can finally start the recovery process.

Watch the video: Family Speaks Out After Man Charged With Hit And Run Gets Sentence Reduced